The field of the present invention relates to fire suppression. In particular, apparatus and methods are described herein for passive suppression of combustion of flammable liquids on surfaces.
Surfaces where fluid spills can occur and where ignition and combustion of the fluids are particularly dangerous must have fire suppression systems in place. Examples may include, but are not limited to: an aircraft carrier flight deck or hangar deck; a helipad; the floor of an engine compartment; the ground near a refueling facility; the floor of a vehicle repair facility; the floor of a fuel, solvent, or chemical storage area; the floor of a fuel, solvent, or chemical processing facility; the ground near a fuel, solvent, or chemical loading or unloading zone or shipping terminal; the floor of a semiconductor processing facility; the ground of a racetrack pit area; an oil drilling platform; an aircraft hangar; or the floor of a mill or manufacturing facility. Even without the violence of an aircraft or vehicle crash, leaked or spilled fuel on a surface is a fire threat. In the case of a crash or accident, structural damage may be minor but there may nevertheless be a great risk of fire due to potential ignition of fuel spilled from fuel tanks. Burning fuel flows onto the ground, a floor, a deck, or other surface and spreads rapidly to surrounding areas. Any fire that is not suppressed or extinguished immediately may kill or injure vehicle occupants, firefighters, other rescue or emergency personnel, or bystanders. A fire may also result in damage to the spill surface or structure that supports, houses, or otherwise attends the spill surface. For these and other reasons, it is desirable to provide fire suppression for such surfaces where spills of flammable fluids may occur.